Transfer Student
by Dark Closure
Summary: Hikari Netto transfers to a new school along with Dingo discovering that there is something bizarre hidden with in the village limits. What is called a Shrine God Curse can only be calmed by one being... Forte.
1. Chapter 1

Transfer Student

Chapter 1

Netto was in high school now, he could choose his own place to live as far as his father cared, but his mother had other ideas. She wanted her little boy to stay at home more and stay with her for the remaining days she might have. After her stroke at the foot of the stairs the teen had suddenly taken on a whole new prospective of the world. His mother was so delicate now; she had to take medication to try to prevent any future seizures. He had to help her around the house, holding her hand and supporting the one side that would just suddenly give. He would spend sleepless nights trying to calm her from her crying fits because her husband could not be there for her and she believed that she was ruining her son's life. The brunet would tell her over and over again that it was not that way. That he wanted to be here helping her each and every minute of the day while he home schooled. Finally, after his freshman year in high school she had enough. She wanted to go back to her hometown out in the country, where she would move into the home that her mother and grandmother had spent their last days; a nice little two-bedroom house with no stairs. He had readily agreed, not wanting to leave her by herself. Over night he had packed all of their things, made sure she was covered with a warm shall before putting everything into the rented car. The service driver took them in the early morning, on a drive that took over a day and half the night to make. He did not have enough time to tell his friends he was leaving, he needed to do all of the work himself while his mother rested. His time with her was limited. He would call his friends when he got to their destination and unpacked everything.

Rockman did not have it easy either. He had to keep medication current, he needed to contact the hospital and doctor's office and gather together all of the medical records for his family and transfer all of that data with as much care as possible to the place they were going to. He also needed to make hard copies and digital copies of all of Netto's school records. He secured all of the net appliances and switched on their security systems then cut them off of their internet interface sealing them from probable virus attack while they lived somewhere else. Once he was done he barely had enough time to send an Email to Netto's father what was going on before he had to hop into his PET and they were in the car. When they got to their destination he was instantly sent into the interface to prepare the house while Netto and the driver unpacked the boxes. Once that was done the driver left receiving a gracious tip for being so kind and of his good service.

Netto took out all of his mother's bedding first and found the master bedroom, making the bed he then set her down where she took her medication and fell into a deep sleep. While she slumbered he unpacked everything setting them where he thought they would be best appreciated to be, before passing out on the bare mattress of what was to be his new bed.

He slept for a full day.

When he got up his mother was moving around, happy and busy body like she used to be when he was a little kid. The fresh country air doing her wonders. She had even cooked him breakfast after three years of getting gradually worse. He was so happy to see her doing better that he cried silently while eating the pancakes. After breakfast he had given her a long soft hug before throwing his backpack over one shoulder and heading out. He still needed to transfer his records and sign up for his classes. So here he was walking down the dirt road from his house trying to find his way to the school. He had stopped several times asking for directions from people who were either sitting on their porch or walking their dog.

When he finally reached the place he was surprised at how small the school was, it had only a few rooms, one room for all of the elementary grades, another for the middle school, and third that high school shared. There was a staff room that was also a nurse's office and a small hole in the wall where only two people sat behind a counter with files filled the back for an office.

"I'm… I'm here to…" he felt a bit intimidated by the looks of the elderly man and woman who sat there.

"Transfer?" the old woman spoke with such a soft voice.

"We know," the man nodded his head while finding a blank paper and held it out to Netto. "Write your name, age, grade level, and address on this."

The brunet took the paper, digging out a pen from his bag, he did as he was told. Once he was done he handed it back only to be told to go home and that class started at seven in the morning. He was a bit weirded out about how simple it was and how there were so many files behind them piled in tied bundles all neat and tidy. If all they needed was that one paper per student then… what were the others for?

"Netto?"

The youth looked up from his path and turned to the familiar voice. His face lit up at the sight of dark skin and glimmering eyes. "Dingo!"

The boy laughed throwing an arm around his friend's shoulder happy to have someone familiar there with him in the tiny village. "Man am I glad to see you! You live in this village or something?"

"Sort of," the boy smirked a bit before stepping back before Netto spazed out any more on him. "I'm actually here on business."

"Business?"

The native American nodded, "Yeah, you see there's supposed to be some sort of treasure here in the Shinto shrine here. I was asked by someone to come give it a look see."

"That sounds a bit shady though, Dingo."

"It should but don't you think this place is a bit shady itself?"

"What do you mean?"

"Netto-kun," Dingo's eyes grew hard. "I think it might be in our best interest to watch each other's backs."

"Dingo that's not…" Netto stopped when he was cut off.

"Netto-kun, do you recall how you found out how to get here?"

"Yeah, I looked it up on a…" he placed a hand on his forehead. No that wasn't right, he didn't find it on a map. Hinamizawa was not on a map. His mother didn't give any direction as to where to find it and the driver… the driver didn't even ask. How did they find their way to this place?

"Not only that, but there is no contact to the internet. Only houses have an interface to plug in your PET, the school have them banned. Phone lines don't lead out side the village."

"Dingo… how do you know all this?"

"He knows because we've been here for a week," Tomahawkman spoke up from the PET. Using the hologram program he showed on up on his operator's shoulder, "It only gets weirder as you stay. I think it would be a good idea for us to stick close to one-another."

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Transfer Student

Note: Hinamizawa is the name for the town in the anime Higurashi no Naku Kokoni. **But** this is not a cross over of shows. I was running short on town names and guess what I was watching at the time? Yeah. So, if any of you were wondering about that, there's your answer.

Chapter 2

When they got home Netto's mother already had dinner ready, the sun had set; the golden coin sunk behind the mountains and forests long ago. The brunet had a lot to think about; a lot to question. How did the driver know where to go? If all internet connections and telephone lines were so secluded then how was Rockman able to transfer so much data? What confused him the most was that he never questioned it, not until Dingo came into the picture. Why was that? Ever since his mother's stroke he had double-checked everything. He couldn't be careless with her condition, he made it a part of every day life to the point it was almost a ritual. Why would he slip up this once?

"Ah! Netto-kun, there you are!" His mother's voice was excited, full of life. He hesitated coming in farther from where he was taking his shoes off. It was odd hearing her like that, not after years of a constant weak and helpless voice. "I was worried, where were you?"

He didn't reply seeing her standing there greeting him in the hallway. She was standing on her own, with out the slight tremors to her side. Her fingers didn't quack as they sat nestled in the grip of her good hand. She was… She was…

Netto felt his eyes sting, a heat raising up in them as his vision blurred. Was she really better? Could coming out here really have been a miracle? What if this was a godsend, and that was why he didn't question anything coming to this humble little town?

"Oh my, Netto, sweet heart what's the matter?"

Her warm arms came around his shoulders, kneeling down to where he was collapsed on the floor sobbing with relief. He repeated his gratitude to whatever celestial being that had healed his mother, even if it was only for one night. Even if it was for just a brief moment in time…

----------------

"You serious?" Dingo's brows knitted together as the two friends sat on a few large rocks on the side of the dusty road.

The brunet nodded running a hand through his hair, fingernails scraping across his scalp trying to find any abnormalities like a scab or blemish that might have appeared over night. He had developed the habit of doing it over and over again while he was in deep thought, usually causing his Navi to worry and the necessity to yell at him to stop before he started to pull hair out.

"She was surprised at how tall I was this morning as well. But like I said, it was weird…"

"Finding your mother talking into a telephone that's not even hooked up and then suddenly acting like she had done nothing at all… I think that would creep out anyone," Dingo handed over the bottle of soda that he had been drinking out of.

Netto took the bottle and a quick drink out of it while his dark skinned companion dug out a sandwich that he tore in half for them to share. It was lunch break, both taking time to discuss into farther detail as to what was going on. Hearing the tales only made his previous relief from last night wash away into concern. His head was starting to hurt from thinking about all the oddities. The first thing that Dingo had told him about was the disappearance of a boy in eight grade, he was about to come into high school the next year when all of the sudden his torn and burnt clothes were found washed down the stream that runs down the center of the village. All investigations by the police stopped not even a week after the disappearance. Then there was a sudden shortage of water, and because the whole village's power station was run by a type of old fashioned water wheel everyone was cut off abruptly before the water suddenly came back over night. But what was stranger was the murder of a household. Everyone had loved them, they were the ones that brought in the technology that stored the power built up by the water wheel and amplified it to be able to supply sufficient energy. They also started the medical clinic only five years ago. None of them were doctors but they had enough knowledge in medicine to help, and they even went out of their way to talk to the village council to send a poverty stricken neighbor to medical school was now their current doctor. They had established a more sufficient way to man the rice fields, created a higher level garden with rich soil for more crops, a fruit orchard and they even made a corner for fish farming. They were, in essence, the people who made everything possible. But last year they were found in their home beaten to death. A family of six, all in the den, bodies crushed, heads mashed. In the reports, they did not even put up a fight. It was as if they had sat there and allowed their attacker to do what that demented mind pleased.

Knowing this did not help him any in feeling safe. In fact it made him want to pack up all those boxes once more and cart his mother away on a bicycle if he couldn't find a car. The only reason why he was staying was because his mother was getting better. She was more of herself now; she could walk just fine with out a walker. She didn't have fits of crying, or worry that she was going to fall down and have another stroke at any given moment. She even was insisting that he go to school now, while before she started to insist that he stay home so she wouldn't die alone. The only reason why he didn't go crazy was because of Rockman. He was there to listen to the crying, he was there talking to her over the com-link in the house that was installed while she was in the hospital. The little blue Navi had to quit his job as a net-savior in order to insure that Netto's mother had someone to keep a constant eye on her. Because of him several suicide attempts had been blocked; because of him Netto had someone he could share the experience with. But here, in this place he was not allowed to take his PET to school, he was looked at strangely when he walked down the street talking to Rockman. And late last night it was confirmed that there was no outside connection so it was not like he could sneak Rockman to his side where ever he may be like he used to do in the big city. The poor Navi was either confined to his PET or just the house.

"Netto…" Dingo handed the boy one half of his sandwich, "I want to say 'I wouldn't worry about it' but that's not exactly comforting after what you've just heard."

"I'd say," he bit into the offered lunch. He was grateful that his friend was willing to share, he had been so spooked by his mother's behavior that he had left with out getting anything to eat.

"But what I can say is that there are precautions we can take."

"Like?"

"Making a link between our PETS, I don't live to far from you so the connection should be nice and strong. If something happens Rockman can get a hold of Tomahawkman and I can come rushing over and vice versa."

"Not much good that'll do."

"I could move in with you guys and room with you, that way there will be two people and two Navis keeping an eye out for her. We can also go to the clinic and get Dr. Minasa to come over for check ups every other day. He's good guy that I trust."

"That sounds a bit more along the lines of 'precaution' than what you were previously saying. But wouldn't your parents be upset over you moving out?"

Dingo froze bringing his half of sandwich to his mouth. He suddenly had the feeling of loss of appetite. His stomach twisted like a sickened snake as he tried to swallow his saliva finding it tasting bitter like venom.

"Dingo?"

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Transfer Student

Chapter 3

"Dingo?" Netto looked to his friend. The Native American had his eyes fixated on the ground with a sad half-lidded gaze. Dingo could feel heat raise up from behind his eyes, his vision becoming burry as the salty tear drops threatened to fall.

"It's funny… How you can never… never forget seeing something like that," the boy took in a shaky breath. "It over powers so many good memories, and takes over your dreams at night. But you find peace at the most awkward moments, like… like when you're at a coffee shop and you see someone stirring their coffee. You can remember how your Dad's fingers clutched at the stirring spoon how he stirred in the sugar. And when you're in the kitchen just sitting their by yourself, how you can some times smell the sweet bread baking in the oven."

"Dingo what are you talking about?"

It came out before the memory had surfaced. The old news bulletin that was read to him by Rockman that was on the Police Station BBS. There had been an accident across seas, a fire that burnt a house down caused by a car jumping the curb and colliding into the gas stove of the house. The names of the victims were confidential but their was a picture of the last remaining member of the family, Dingo. He had been caught up in the explosion coming home from spending the day over at a friend's house. It had been touch and go in the hospital; a piece of shrapnel from the debris had lodged itself close to one of his lungs causing nearly puncturing it. His shirt had caught on fire and the force from the explosion that had caused the fire had caused so much damage to his chest that he had nearly drowned on his own blood if a medical student who was passing by on a buss did not jump out and do some emergency procedures.

The brunet felt his jaw tighten when he caught a glimpse of the white scar that cut over his friend's throat where a tube had to be shoved into for them to drain the blood and get him to breath once more. Reaching over he grabbed Dingo's shoulder and pulled him close in a half hug. How could he have forgotten? He had a video conversation with him when he had been in the hospital. If it wasn't for his mother he would have gone to visit, but she was on the verge of having a relapse and he was too frightened to let her go through another stroke. All this time, Netto had been worrying about himself, about his own mother while he still had a perfectly healthy father. Dingo on the other hand… he had lost everyone all he had left was Tomahawkman a Net Navi that could be deleted at any time because of the fickle whims of the internet and viruses. If he had lost his Navi… then the youth would indeed have nothing left in the world.

"Never mind… You don't have to answer that. It was stupid of me to ask," he gave his friend a rub of the shoulders now accustomed to doing the same thing to his own mother that he had not truly realized he was doing it now.

"Netto-kun…"

"Yeah?" He looked over to those dewy eyes, he felt a pang of guilt for causing those eyes to become depressed.

Netto got a hand in his face pushing him back and away, "I'm no girl for you to be hitting on, moron."

The brunet's face flushed from embracement, "Sorry, I didn't, you know… and… don't give me that look, I'm not gay."

"Could have fooled me just now," Dingo stuffed his sandwich into his mouth trying hard to forget the scene of his parents' death out of his mind. Being treated like a delicate flower made his skin crawl, he was a man and didn't need to be touched for comfort.

"I'm really not."

"Just eat what the hell I gave you."

-------------

Something was down there. It was a sad feeling in the darkness of that endless span of shadows. It was whispering out with such a faint voice, tired and restless. Bringing his foot out he leaned forward allowing himself to fall. The darkness was embracing with its usual cold fingers that he welcomed. With a simple twist his feet replaced his head as the adventurer forth to the unknown. Something hard came into contact with his soles a jerk to his body and he had stopped. He had passed the world of dark into the deepest recesses of the Undernet finding lights that floated of their own free will like blue candle flames. He shifted his weight from one side to the other taking in all of the bodies attempting to derez, particles of energy slowly leaking out of now lifeless systems and compliments of data. Settled in the middle of everything was the one whispering in that tired voice.

Not caring for the already dilapidating beings that littered the ground, he moved forward. Red eyes taking in the fact that many of what remained was of several powerful Navi's that had made quite the name for themselves. Many with special abilities that made them extremely difficult to beat under normal circumstances. His hand came out from under the tattered cloak that covered his body. An energy built in his palm, he was not no to be interested in chances. Be this one a chance or not he was going to erase the purple and gray Navi at point blank.

-------------

"You're… going to live here with us?" Rockman blinked a little confused on the issue.

Tomahawkman rubbed at the back of his head with a large grin, "Yeah it was kind of a sudden thing I know, but I was just told a second before we got here."

"I wonder why this is so sudden, I mean, it's not like Netto-kun to just spring this on all of us. At least not after his mother's…"

"Speaking of which, I plan on taking on half of your duties thank you very much," Tomahawkman placed a hand to his chest giving a slight bow as if he was granting someone's unfulfilled wish. "Besides I think this is a good thing for Dingo to do, he gets really down when he's alone."

The blue Navi nodded, remembering the past much more clearly than his operator. This was a good thing he decided, be it out of the norm or not it was a good thing to happen. To be honest he didn't like being left alone at home with just Netto's mother as company. She was starting to spook him when she began laughing for no reason while chopping vegetables. She also took apart a pair of finger nail clippers and scratched up a plate with them saying that it was bad procilean and she just wanted to make sure people knew that before she threw it away. He –personally- regretted asking the question finding that it just set him on edge more.

To Be Continued…

Note: Do you guys want me to make Dingo and Netto a pair in this? If I don't get any answers I might just go ahead and do that.


	4. Chapter 4

Transfer Student

Chapter 4

The thickness of those scars on Dingo's body did something to him. He didn't know what, but he had the urge to touch them. Before Dingo could fully change his shirt into the light blue soft sip up vest there were hands on his belly. He looked down at his new roommate who had a focused gaze and the bright damaged flesh that looked like cracked webbing and splatter of ink on the youth's body. It took up most of the well-shaped abs, traveling up the majority of the right side of his chest and thin tendril wrapped around the neck to the nape. It took off half a dark brown nipple, and left grooves that were easily traced. Up until now he had no idea as to how much pain his friend had to endure by himself. No relatives were there by his bedside to hold his hand, PETs were limited to being with their owner in the hospital for only a few hours so that the person could concentrate on healing. All Dingo had was Tomahawkman, and he… he only gave him one videophone call.

"Can I put my shirt down yet?" Dingo sighed heavily.

"Sorry," Netto murmured falling deathly silent as he watched his friend shake his dark brown-red hair out of the cap he kept it trapped in. The natural shaggy state of the locks gave them a soft luster that complimented the color of his skin just the right way that Dingo could easily become a heartthrob if he kept his hair down.

Dark eyes met his before that carefree face split into a smile letting a few tendrils of bangs to fall in his face, "I know different huh?" He put his hands on his hips as if he was declaring victory, "Everyone thought I would be bald after my scalp was burnt off, but the fact of the mater is that my hair crew back softer and darker color. Pretty sweet, huh?"

His scalp was burnt off from the explosion as well? Netto felt… even worse, in that one phone call he had thought that Dingo had a head wound like a cut or something trivial, not… not something so…

"Oh, and when a storm comes I need to have an ice pack handy just so you know, and my pain meds because the burn tissues still kind of- whoa- HEY!" The front of his vest was grabbed his body forced against the wall of the bedroom they were now sharing. The roll-up futon that Dingo and spread across the floor for himself got kicked up from the sudden assault.

"What's the big idea?"

"You!" Netto have his friend a shove to the shoulders, "You're not _allowed_ to hid anything from me _ever_ again, you got that?!"

"What are you talking about?" Dingo shoved his companion a little getting himself free. Smoothing out his vest he tried to keep his head clear. It wasn't his fault that he had lost contact with his friend's back in Japan, it wasn't his fault that he needed to disappear for a while because the sad faces and sympathetic words of wisdom were nothing than hearsay. It got to him, he needed to get away from it. He…

"I'm not some stupid, selfish little kid any more! I know what it looks like when someone is in constant pain. From the look of the scars, you always have a dull deep throb each time you take a breath. Correct me if I'm wrong but you can't run with out risking damage to your lungs, and that's not even the end of it. But what's the real problem here is that you can't stand the looks."

Dingo felt like someone had hit him. He had never said anything about the look of people's eyes, about how hard it was to be normal while people saw you as a freak or a poor pitiful creature that needed a helping hand.

Netto's fingers snaked around the back of his neck pulling his head down and forward a little in a gentle tug. He pressed their foreheads together in hopes that maybe he could just transmit his concerns and thoughts to his friend's brain directly. When that didn't work he opted for speaking again. "You're the one who said it before 'we should watch each other's backs'… so don't… don't hide things from me."

"Then stop being a dimwit," Dingo patted Netto on the shoulder. "I need you to stay sharp while we're here. Something is going on that is bigger than you, bigger than me, and we need to keep that in mind."

"You said that there was supposed to be some sort of treasure, right?"

"Yeah," Dingo pushed past Netto not really into the whole touchy-feely thing that Netto was currently pressing upon him. Grabbing a hair tie out of his pocket he began pulling back his hair and gathering it into a bunch.

"You never were big into treasure hunting. Why would you… Why would you use that as an excuse to be in a place like this?"

The Native American paused in putting back his hair while stepping out of the room. "Because what I'm after no value that can be measured by normal means." He then started walking down the small hallway, "Excuse me I had promised your mother I would cook dinner tonight."

-------------

How long had it been? It seemed like weeks since the last time he had been alone. In this desolate world that was known as the Undernet it was wise to be by one's self. It set a different feeling having this one around. This creature that was gray bodied with yellow markings. The purple hands and feet with the two-tailed vest that hugged the chest, the dark hair that was softer than anything he had ever felt ever before. Ferial eyes that looked more normal than beast like that gazed at the world with curiosity.

"Are you coming?" he asked stepping to the side to look behind him where he had lost his new companion. He did not know why, but when he heard those words come from those lips that moved silently he hesitated. When he tried walking away but silent feet followed. He had to adjust to listening to feet that made no sound, to not looking at that face that smiled and begged for his attention.

The girl hustled down the cracked ways, something yellow cuddled against the crest that was decorated with a pair of scraggly wings.

"What's that you go there?" His eyes narrowing at her small treasure in a sort of distaste.

Those lips moved with only silence spilling forth. He frowned deeply. He couldn't hear her since the first time, the very first time she spoke to him. As if knowing this was the case the woman held out what she had, a mettool that kicked and struggled. Scoffing he reached over grabbing it by the yellow helmet and giving it a firm shack and stern glare. It stopped struggling before he plopped it back into those hands that tried to grab it from him and his somewhat abusive ways. The now startled mettool coward against the woman's breast trying to hide itself from the scary man with bat like helmet and red eyes.

"You're not keeping it."

She wasn't paying attention to him, just petting the met and looking around stepping closer to him. He gave a small grunt before sighing, "Hurry up…" He turned and started to walk away with her hurrying after staying close.

"You know you're not staying with me."

She only stayed close.

To Be Continued…


	5. Chapter 5

Transfer Student

Chapter 5

How long had it been? He had rid himself of that program that told him time, he had no need for it, but now he wished he had not done such a thing. He was finding that as more time passed the more he wondered how much of it had left him behind. She was always by his side now; always close when he did not want it and finding that he wanted it when she was not. Eventually he found a discarded program that actually told the date and time, from his calculations he had been with her for over three months now. Three months of having the little creature and her Met pet tagging along. Three months of her lips moving but never being able to hear her voice.

Forte had kept to the Undernet, where the girl would catch one of the blue floating flames and suck on it for a while before letting it go from her mouth. He wanted to ask if she was actually eating, but figured he would stay silent as he watched her day in and day out. She did it daily, grabbing one and popping it between soft lips before letting it go. Today she was trying to get a hold of one, but was having a difficult time with it. With little effort, Forte reached out and took a hold of her target and held it out for her to take. He was thrown off guard when she just swallowed it from his fingers, her lips closing around his fingers as well. Cheeks reddened in a blush that he did not think that Navis could muster. He pulled his hand back hissing out, "Take _it_ not my fingers."

She only sat next to him on the digital pile of data that was to look like a rock. She swung her legs while she rolled the little… thing… in her mouth. Her fingers played with the edges of his cape like many times before as she "feasted". When the little ball of light was released from her mouth a drop of green and blue liquid dropped down onto her chin and corner of her mouth. She licked up the one side but the chin was forgotten.

"You've got…" He motioned with his hand to where she had something but she didn't seem to understand what he was talking about. Eventually she got it but where she wiped missed the slightly-luminescent droplet. His brows creased trying to ignore the fact that it was still on her face and she was _missing_ it. Reaching over, his thumb brushed against her chin, taking off the goop that felt like thick water. As his reward he earned a smile and her head leaning against his shoulder.

"Don't get any bright ideas," he pushed at her trying to get her away. She slid off of the rock and tumbled down to the ground where she opted to go play with the Met that was currently digging for whatever reason Mettools dig for.

----------

The days were growing shorter and the stranger occurrences were happening more often. Netto was scared to leave his mother alone with just the Navis. One day when he got home from school he was excited to tell about how they had just established a soccer team when he found his mother starting to finish pushing the buttons to the microwave. Rockman was screaming his head off while trying his best to stop the process of the machine. The brunet had barreled into the kitchen and ripped open the microwave that had been sparking from just the few seconds that it had been running. The door was closed tight, stuck from having a broken fork wedged into the crack of the lock. He barely had enough time to hear Rockman scream out that Tomahawkman was in there before Dingo ripped the appliance from the wall and threw it across the room. It broke against the counter freeing the PET that was trapped inside. Netto… for the first time had yelled at his mother. Yelled at her for doing such a thing, as Dingo ran to their shared room to start emergencies procedures. Tomahawkman had little damage but if they were even a few seconds slower then he could have been permanently damaged to the point of deletion.

As a precaution afterwards they managed to figure out how to smuggle the PETS away from home for Netto's mother to not get contact, and strictly ordered their Navi's to never stay in anything for too long just in case she figured she could break things.

There was another time when she started doing… other things. She started to make foods and would have Netto try them out when Dingo was not around. He would eat them and tell her that they are good but if it was not under that odd list of hers of what Netto liked and did not like she would go ballistic. A few times Netto had to lock himself in his room while she pounded at the door proclaiming that he was not the boy she had birthed. He had to stay though, just in case it got to quiet. He started to make excuses as to why he had bruises and scrapes for the teacher at school.

Once Netto's father had visited, happy as ever that his wife was doing so much better. Netto had to pretend that nothing was wrong, pretend that he had fallen off of his bike because of a rock. Tell lies about how wonderful everything was doing now that they were out of the big city. He had to insure that everything was fine because Dingo was there to help with the chores. But late at night he would find himself with labored breathing, curled up with his friend's hand smoothing his back trying to sooth away the horrid things from his mind.

Tonight though, his eyes were filled with tears as he tried to clean the wound that grinned at him with its crescent moon shape. It was fresh from when the broken vase came into contact with Dingo's cheek. He had come home early from doing some investigating around the town, wet from the early snow in the high mountain village. Netto's mother had struck out, screaming that Netto was not Netto, that he was not someone she knew. She had broken a vase, trying to hurt him, but Dingo barred the way. Had intervened and gotten the brunt of it. His face got cut, the blood from being hit by the vase, it breaking on contact, tearing and cutting. Netto had thrown his mother into her and locked the door from the outside. She shook the knob, pounded on the door, and then she grew quiet sobbing on the floor about how she just wanted to protect her baby.

Dingo's face needed an ice pack, and mending. He had some butterfly bandages that he could use and ointment. Netto felt the warm tears running down his cheeks, his hands shook from seeing the cut and bruise. He couldn't take how Dingo winced from the treatments. He couldn't handle it… His mother's health had gotten better, but now she was slowly going insane. The doctor they had been consulting with, Dr. Minasa, he had no explanation except for that it could have been a slow detritions from her first stroke that had built up, and when some sort of blockage cleared it fixed her up physically but as a price it messed with her mental functions.

"I'm… I'm sorry, she just… she just needs to be cared for and I can't… I don't know if she'll get…"

"Netto," Dingo sighed from the seat at the kitchen table he was at. His hand was holding up the ice pack to keep swelling down, "How long have I been living with you?"

"Three… months."

"How long has she been acting like this?"

Netto felt his breath chocking in his throat.

"I thought it was you who laid down the law that we don't hide anything from each other!" Dingo dropped the ice pack, grabbing hold of Netto's arms. "How can I possibly keep you safe if you cut me off? How can we keep your mother safe?!"

"Then what about you?"

"What?"

"You're concerned about me and my mother when you're the one always hurting!" Netto grabbed a hold of the front of Dingo's shirt, "You're always trying hard to keep everyone else safe while you take the brunt! I just wanted… I just wanted to keep you… from hurting again…"

Dark eyes softened when his cheek was touched. He couldn't help but wonder when Netto started to retreat? When did he start to run away back into his own self, using his skin as a shell to absorb the pain? The person he knew as a friend fought hard for everything, always had a wild grin on his face. But now he was hiding. He was a beaten puppy that wanted to love the master that struck with a vicious fist. Because of this he had become softer, more vulnerable. He needed someone to hold him while he cried when before he would hold back the tears no matter what. Now he needed to know that he was doing something good for someone else not sure his efforts were for the greater good or not. Before he would just throw it all into the wind and know he was doing the right thing.

Dingo only held the boy that was the former resemblance of himself, but the Native American knew that if they got out of there –far away from the ailments of this cursed village.

To Be Continued…


	6. Chapter 6

Transfer Student

Chapter 6

Rockman was reaching his limit, considering how he could handle so much he was getting tired of having to tell Haruka to stop doing abnormal and crazy things. He was tired of being shut off and hidden from seeing the beatings. He was being sheltered now, hidden away like a frightened little brother that needed protection when the fact was he did not need it. Netto needed the protection. He needed someone to jump between his mother and him and put down their foot. Netto needed… he needed… someone like Dingo. Dingo was able to hold him and let him cry, Dingo had placed himself between the brunet and the mother that they both loved. He took the brunt of it, he started to pull Netto back from that shell he was retreating into. But that was not what Rockman was reaching his limit over. He was tired of not being able to do anything. The internet was nonexistent to these people, only a home network that allowed him to go to the library and medical office. He needed to be able to know he could help Netto once more. That was why he was currently creating a internet connection by scrap. He was trying his best each and every waking moment he could get to do this. They needed an outside connection. They needed to contact someone who could actually help, like Enzan. Enzan and Blues, they would definitely be able to lend aid.

"They're back from school," Tomahawkman spoke coming up from behind the blue Navi.

"Together?"

"Yeah, it would seem that Dingo's now a little more paranoid because of Netto's deception," the turquoise Navi gave the small project a look. "I know… you're not happy about that either."

"Should I be?" Rockman snapped.

"No." Feathers rested on the digital floor as the unique Navi squatted down, "But you do know that it's the hardest on him right?"

"I know! I know…"

Black colored fingers rested on top of the blue helmet of his friend. The small Navi was having a lot of trouble with all of this. He was used to being the hero of the community and in some instances the world. He was accustomed to being a partner to a boy who was reckless and only thought a second ahead in the future. Rockman's world… it had changed drastically once when he almost lost a loved one from a stroke, but now… he was in danger of having his entire world taken from him in the form of loosing Netto in a way he never thought possible.

"How… much more do you need?"

"What?"

"I'm asking if you need help, dim bulb," he smiled when those green eyes turned to him.

The smile on the blue Navi's face split across his face into a grin. He leapt forward wrapping his arms around his friend's waist. He needed help but didn't want to ask for it. He was already imposing by asking for help in watching Netto's mother.

"Hey, don't get all cling-"

He closed his eyes when lips were pressed against his. He held the blue Navi as Rockman gave him a chaste kiss. It still felt a little odd, the sensation of being kissed, but it was something that he enjoyed immensely. With every kiss he remembered their first one. It was night where they could hear Netto cry and Dingo softly telling him that everything will be aright. Rockman couldn't handle it, he was at his wit's end and he was about to break. He had tried everything he had, trying to calm him down, but nothing would work. He was in tears talking about how useless he was, how he needed to do something even to the point of just locking Netto's mother away like some sort of prisoner. He had much more crazy ideas that Tomahawkman did not want to repeat, most of them involving the blue Navi's death. He needed to catch his friend off guard, and attacking was not a good idea, it was the last thing he could resort to. So he did what he thought best. He had kissed the Navi, delved his tongue deep into that mouth that was crying. His thumb wiped away tears as he continued to have his way, glad that the sobs had stopped. It was a surprise to be held onto so tightly as that slick tongue learned his moves and fought back. When they broke he still hand those hands holding onto him, needing him there to ground the boy that was trapped and confused. He held that face that held those pure green eyes that looked at him with wonder, asking so many questions at once. And he couldn't answer, why he did it, why he was still holding onto him and letting those hands keep on his body. So he didn't, he only spoke comforting words just like his operator to Netto. Ever since then they had allowed themselves the indulgence of a kiss here a kiss there, knowing that it was more than likely that their time together was limited.

"Tomahawk- never mind," Dingo's voice startled the two away from each other. The light from the window that would have showed the face of the man that owned the turquoise Navi blinked away as the young man cut off the connection to give the Navi's their alone time.

"Uh, I think… um… should we… you know… and…" Rockman's face was red as a ripe tomato.

"He's not dumb," Tomahawkman leaned back on his elbows enjoying the feel of Rockman laid across on top of him. He chuckled a little when he watched his companion hit his own forehead like he had done something stupid.

"Besides, I don't think he really care. Dingo's pretty open minded," he squeezed his knees together clamping them around Rockman's thin waist earning a small yip that he relished in hearing.

"E-either way, um… we- we should get to work, you know…" he tried hard not to blush harder than he already was, but it was hard when he had to grab his companion's thighs to pull his way free.

"Yeah, you're right," the Native American Navi sat up quickly giving Rockman a quick kiss before letting the little guy free from his grasp.

Out side the digital realm Dingo felt his face redden. There were no words of how embarrassed he was for just jumping in like that. A private moment between his Navi and Netto's, that he himself had envisioned doing each night he had to calm the brunet. He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts, he was able to press those thoughts out this long it shouldn't be any hard to continue… that is… now that he saw what he saw…

His eyes shifted a little on the sly side over to the boy who was currently going over the notebooks that Dingo had been writing up. He had been asked to compile all of his findings into written form while he was there and he had been doing so, each and every day. Not wanting to have anything catch his roommate off guard he was letting him read his research reports and records. The boy was immersed in it, forgetting about food and water as he read. He way his forehead creased with the more mysterious happenings, the way his eyes glittered with the need for knowledge. The way he tapped his foot impatiently all told Dingo to pay attention to the small details that was attractive. Then again it was hard not to.

"What did he say?" Netto asked while turning a page.

"Wha?"

"Tomahawkman, you were going to ask him about today's entries while we were gone."

"Oh, uh, he's… kind of busy at the moment with Rockman."

Netto put down the notebook and looked at the redhead, "Busy? Doing what?"

"To be honest I don't think it's any of your business," he smirked loving the fact he knew something that the other didn't. Then again this was a rather private matter and not life threatening so he figured he could get away with a bit of teasing.

"Rockman _is_ my business. What where they doing?"

"Can't tell you."

"Dingo," he said in a warning tone. "No secrets… remember?"

"Now, I can't tell you and that's the truth," he folded his arms when the brunet got up from the desk chair he was sitting on.

Netto stepped up to the boy taller than him, one eye narrowing more than the other while he tried to read the redhead he lived with, "What. Were. They. Doing?"

"Can't tell."

He couldn't tell, then that meant that he could show right? "You can show me then."

Dingo's face reddened, "uh, I uh… don't think you would want that."

"I do." Okay that was a demand and Dingo knew it.

"You promise not to get angry?"

"Why would I?"

"Promise not to get angry, hurt me or Tomahawkman or leave us stranded somewhere far away okay?"

"Why would I…" he sighed when Dingo gave him those puppy dog eyes that he had been mastering over the last few days, a way that they found out that got to Netto's mother and made her calm down instantly, oddly enough. But Netto was a lot more like his mother than his father apparently because those eyes were working real well, "Okay, I promise."

Dingo thought that what he was going to do was a bad thing, but then again… was it as bad as he believed it would be? Only one way to find out.

Drawing in a breath he unfolded his arms taking a hold of Netto's. Leaning forward slowly he planted his lips over his roommate's.

To Be Continued…


	7. Chapter 7

Transfer Student

Chapter 7

Netto's world was spinning. He felt the softness of Dingo's futon underneath him as his back was pressed against the wall it was against. When had they gotten on to the floor? When had Dingo's lips left his and that searing mouth was burning his neck with kisses as fingers left tingling trails of an unknown sensation on his skin? The redhead pulled back, his tongue darting out taking in taste while he sat back on his legs trying to allow them both space. The brunet's face was red and his chest heaved with every breath. Dingo had gotten carried away when he was not pushed away. He just went with the flow and somewhere between the thrumming pulse under his tongue and the feel of cloth blocking his ability to touch Netto's chest he started to get back his thinking process.

"Well… um, yeah that's about the gist of it."

Brown eyes blinked, "H-huh?"

"What Tomahawkman and Rockman were doing."

"O-oh," Netto took in a deep breath while running his hands through his hair, his headband discarded some time while he was _distracted_. "I can see why he… they couldn't… uh…"

"Yeah…"

"Dingo?"

"Yeah?"

"What does… I mean… does anything change now?"

The Native American's shirt was gripped as Netto shifted to sit up on his legs as well. The look of vulnerability slipping through as he mentally pleaded for things to stay the same. For things not to change but all the same he wanted it to, to have something stable in the unstable world he was currently living in. He let his other hand be taken by Dingo's, the color of contrast between their skin evident making him look as pale as Enzan against that reddish skin. The skin that was up against his, that he wanted more of, but at the same time found that it blocked the way. It was a permanent barrier that kept him from the true warmth that he wanted to be wrapped in the depth of Dingo's heart where it was safe. He had his thoughts along the way, but it didn't matter now. Dingo was the only one to be there for him. Rockman was now a victim so was Tomahawkman, and victims could only do so much. They had become limited because now they needed to be protected more than anyone else. Their lives were so tiny and fleeting compared to the operators that cared for them.

Dingo flexed his fingers so that their fingertips were pressed together letting Netto play with his hand. He waited, watching his counter part let go of his shirt in favor of taking hold of the hand that had been caressing his cheek only moments before. He wasn't sure if anything changed then or not. How could he be? He was new to all of this himself, the most he and ever gotten was possibly a dirty magazine, but now here he was with the opportunity to not just lust after someone but to actually be with them.

"Well…" he said leaning to the side supporting his weight with one arm while Netto kept a hold of his other. "Do you want it to?"

"I…" Netto sighed wishing he didn't have to think. He wanted Dingo to take all of his thoughts away and give him a moment of piece once more. "I just… I mean, would this mean I would be gay?"

Dingo snickered, "What kind of question is that?"

"I mean it! It's not like… it's a bad thing I just… you know," he finished with a shrug of his shoulder.

"Hmm…" Dingo leaned forward a little so that they were practically nose-to-nose, "Did you have any feelings for guy?"

"No."

"Then you don't want me to kiss you again."

"No, I mean… what are you getting at?"

Netto wanted to kiss him that was a good sign. "I mean, if you haven't been aroused by guys before but you liked what just happened then you're not gay, you just like me. You do like me right?"

The brunet's cheeks were red as he nodded letting Dingo give him another kiss. It was just as chaste as the last one, but this time those strong arms that have held him nights before were much more warm. He leaned in enjoying the feeling, he felt safe right there.

"Netto-kun!" Rockman's voice flooded the room causing the two to jump. "Never mind!"

Dingo started to laugh as he leaned his forehead against Netto's shoulder loving the goofed up irony of it all. Netto's face was red as could be as he desperately tried to think of something to say to his Navi that just closed the connection to give them their private time. But then again, should he have to explain? He was in a relationship with Dingo's Navi after all, so why couldn't Netto be with Dingo? Right? Right. One problem obverted.

"Hey," Dingo quelled his chuckles.

"Yeah?"

"It's time for bed, tomorrow we need to check up on a lead."

"You know," Netto threw a stray slipper at the light switch hitting it while Dingo pulled down the covers from the bed above to cover them. "You still haven't told me what you're looking for."

He felt the teen's body stiffen next to him, "I told you… it's a treasure."

Brown eyes watched the boy who only settled down on a soft pillow, obviously not wanting to talk about it now.

"Okay, tomorrow while we're looking at least tell me then."

Dingo make an unsure sound in the back of his throat before nodding, "We'll… see."

That was all Netto could ask for at the moment, so he only crawled over his roommate and up onto his own bed stealing back his blanket commenting it was to early to sleep together earning a snicker from the one below with the comment of, "But honey we already live together." Netto swatted him with his pillow.

-----------------

"So?"

Rockman turned around face flushed, "Uh, well… you see… They um… needed some alone time."

Tomahawkman's eyes glittered with a certain look made the blue Navi worry a little. "Then in other words we don't need to worry right?"

"I… guess so," he was backing up slowly as the taller Navi started to advance hands on his own hips as he stalked forward. Rockman was quick to learn what that stance meant.

"Mmm…" Tomahawkman licked his lips slowly as if eyeing a savory dish, "Then I have something in mind to kill some time until they are free."

He leapt forward causing Rockman to yip as he dodged out of the way and scurry away. The game of chase was on, something that put a smile on both of their faces. When caught he would get a hug and then it would be his turn to chase. It was a game of tag that he enjoyed more than he first would have imagined. But this time when he was caught, those loving arms holding him tightly made him feel a bit bolder than he usually was in a relationship and he leaned forward, taking a hold of either side of the Indian's face and giving him a loving kiss.

--------------

Enzan looked down at the Email sent, his blue eyes blinking at the text that scrawled across.

"Who sent this?" He looked at his red Navi who gave a half shrug.

"I found it just now, no ID no IP, nothing, Enzan-sama. Should I just delete it? It looks like a spam mail."

"No… I think we should look into this. Do you know where you were before you came back to the PET?"

"Yes sir, I was in sector four of the Undernet."

The white and black haired youth nodded taking off the half moon glasses that perched on his nose. "It would seem that we need to find the source of it."

He looked at the blinking text that scrolled across the tiny screen over and over again. Something about it made him feel uneasy.

To Be Continued…


End file.
